The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies

April 13, 2009
The lure of fairies never fades, and the idea that they lurk nearby, waiting to be found, is still exciting to children. And Unzner's (Princess Me
) use of photographs (some of which feature fairy-seeking kids) as backdrops for her delicate fairies drives that notion home. Her creations are more cute than beautiful—they have button noses and frizzy hair, and appear fairly rambunctious, even as they evade the children looking for them. Debut author Paquette combines guidebook narrative (“We can see where they live if we know how to look for them”) with warmer passages that include readers in the search (“Did you feel that tingle? I think something magical
is about to happen”). Text and art work in tandem to create gentle suspense—scenes, such as one in which fairies retrieve a lost slipper just behind the retreating shoes of the searching children, will prompt giggles, and the promise of a fairy encounter is sweetly fulfilled at the end. Though Unzner's sketchy hand-drawn fairies ultimately feel superimposed on, rather than part of, the photographic landscapes, readers should still be enticed by the idea of magic infusing the natural world. Ages 4–8.

September 1, 2009
PreS-Gr 2-This story informs readers that fairies are just about everywhere, if they know how to look. The art is composed of photographs juxtaposed with cartoonlike drawings of the magical creatures. For example, an image of a field of tulips, with fairies peeking out here and there, is accompanied by text that reads, "Fairies love flowers. These tulips would be just right for playing hide-and-seek. Curled up inside, a fairy could not be spotted by anyone." Paquette encourages readers to help the sprites by doing things like blowing dandelion fluff to make a pillow or moving a rock to make a pool. A positive quality of this book is that it seeks to inspire children to notice the magnificent natural world in their own backyard or neighborhood."Linda M. Kenton, Pickleweed Public Library, San Rafael, CA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.